The present invention relates to a medical procedure for augmenting diaphramatic function. In a healthy person the diaphragm elevates to compress the avioli and distends as the lungs fill with air during an inhalation event. Such diaphramatic function can be hindered for several reasons, including chronic pulmonary obstructive disease, spinal cord injury, diaphramatic muscle dysfunction and paralysis of the diaphragm. For example, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease is a common medical problem associated with an over inflated lung, destruction of the avioli and atrophied diaphramatic muscle. It has been estimated that more than 20 million people suffer from this condition.
Current treatments for chronic pulmonary obstruction disease are based on medical and surgical approaches. Medical approaches generally entail breathing with an inhaler while conventional surgical procedures include lung reduction. These have not improved the outcome and the latter surgical procedures are generally associated with a high incidence of failure. Therefore, the present surgical procedure is an alternate approach which relates to muscle reinforcement of a flattened and weakened diaphragm to provide improved respiration function in patients with impaired diaphramatic function.